Portal:Czech Republic

Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

The Duchy of Bohemia was founded in the late 9th century under Great Moravia. It was formally recognized as an Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy. Nearly a hundred years later, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt led to the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Crown lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

During the 19th century, the Czech lands underwent significant industrialization. Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I, most of the region became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918. Czechoslovakia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to remain a parliamentary democracy during the entirety of the interwar period. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took control over the Czech lands. Czechoslovakia was restored in 1945 and three years later became an Eastern Bloc communist state following a coup d'état in 1948. Attempts to liberalize the government and economy were suppressed by a Soviet-led invasion of the country during the Prague Spring in 1968. In November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and free-tuition university education. It ranks 32nd in the Human Development Index. The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. (Full article...)

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Destroyed Soviet tank in Prague, 1968

The Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro; Slovak: Pražská jar) was a period of political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), and continued until 21 August 1968, when the Soviet Union and three other Warsaw Pact members (Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland) invaded the country to suppress the reforms.

The Prague Spring reforms were an attempt by Dubček to grant additional rights to the citizens of Czechoslovakia in an act of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. The freedoms granted included a loosening of restrictions on the media, speech and travel. After national discussion of dividing the country into a federation of three republics, Bohemia, Moravia–Silesia and Slovakia, Dubček oversaw the decision to split into two, the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic. This dual federation was the only formal change that survived the invasion. (Full article...)

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Slender mongoose at Prague Zoo

Photographer: Karelj; License: Dual (GNU Free Documentation License and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA)

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In this month

14 August 2002 – Water in the Vltava reaches peak level during the 2002 European floods, in which 17 people in the country die and around 200,000 are evacuated from their homes
15 August 1744 – Frederick the Great leads a Prussian invasion of Bohemia as part of the War of the Austrian Succession
20 August 1968 – The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia takes place in response to the Prague Spring reform movement
26 August 1992 – Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar meet at Villa Tugendhat and agree to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
28 August 1867 – The Bohemian Crown Jewels (replica of the Crown of Saint Wenceslas pictured) are returned to Prague from Vienna

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Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková (17 April 1868 – 16 October 1915) was a Moravian teacher, journal editor, and women's rights activist. Born into a family of progressive educators, she studied to become a teacher, graduating in 1886. Her Catholic education led her to more conservative values than her family's, but after teaching for several years, she began to recognize the disparities between women and men teachers, as well as those of their students. By 1898, she was publicly calling for equal pay for equal work and campaigning for equal education for boys and girls. In 1902, Wiedermannová founded and became chair of the Moravian Teachers Union, whose focus was to professionalize teaching standards. The following year, she opened a Girls' Academy in Brno, hoping later to include secondary education there. As the Austro-Hungarian Empire provided little funding for girls' education, she held lectures to provide for the operating costs of the academy. Finally in 1908, she successfully established the first girls' secondary school in Moravia.

That year, Wiedermannová founded and became the editor for Ženská revue (Women's Review), a magazine publishing articles on developments in the international women's movement. Also in 1908, she began an informal marriage with fellow teacher Vincenc Motyčka. As he was Catholic and unable to divorce his first wife, the two were not able to formalize their union, but she added his surname to her own. In 1909, she retired as a teacher to focus on activism. She became one of the most visible Czech feminists, presenting over a hundred lectures during her career. She founded numerous women's associations and in 1910 was instrumental in the creation of a regional umbrella organization, the Progressive Organization of Women in Moravia, actively committed to women's suffrage and the integration of women into all segments of public life. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Petra Kvitová Martin Miller (actor) Vratislav Lokvenc Vladimír Remek Leoš Janáček Libor Michálek Vojtěch Jarník Markéta Vondroušová

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Did you know?

...that the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of Central European Baroque artistic expression"?
... that the leftist Czechoslovak Chemical Workers' Union was expelled from the OSČ trade union centre in 1922?
... that, having played 465 league matches, Jaroslav Šilhavý holds the record for the most appearances in top-flight Czech football?
... that Josef Jiří Kolár was the first to begin a systematic translation of Shakespeare's plays into Czech?

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General images

The following are images from various Czech Republic-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 2Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 3Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 4Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 5A "traditional Bohemian platter" at a restaurant in central Prague, consisting of roast duck, roast pork, beer sausage, smoked meat, red and white cabbage, bread, bacon and potato dumplings (from Czech cuisine)
Image 6John Amos Comenius (1592–1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 7Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 8Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 9Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 10An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 11The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 12Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 13Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 14Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 15King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 16Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 17Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 18Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 19Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 20Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 21Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 22Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 23Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 24Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 25Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 26Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 27Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 28The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618) (from Bohemia)
Image 29Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 30Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 31Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 32Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 33A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 34Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 35Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 36Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 37Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 38The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 39House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 40Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 41Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 42The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 43The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 44Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 45Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 46Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 47Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 48Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 49Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 50St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 51Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 52Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 53Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 54Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918–1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 55Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 56Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 57Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 58Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 59The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center. (from Bohemia)
Image 60Semi-detached villa in Brno by Otto Eisler, according to MoMA's Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, is a defining building of the International style. (from Czech architecture)
Image 61Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 62Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 63Municipal House (from Czech architecture)
Image 64Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 65Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 66Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 67Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 68Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 69Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 70Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 71Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 72Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 73The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 74Svíčková na smetaně (marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 75Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)

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Topics

Czech lands: Bohemia • Moravia • Czech Silesia

History: Únětice culture • Boii • Marcomanni • Samo • Great Moravia • Přemyslid dynasty • Lands of the Bohemian Crown • Czech lands (1526–1648) • 1648–1867 • 1867–1918) • Czechoslovakia • Czech Republic

Geography: Lakes • Protected areas • Regions • Rivers

Law: Judiciary • Law enforcement • Supreme Court of the Czech Republic

Politics: Administrative divisions • Government • Constitution • Elections • Foreign relations • Army • Parliament • Political parties • President • Prime Minister

Economy: Banks • Czech koruna • Energy • Oil and gas deposits • Stock Exchange • Tourism • Transport

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Demographics • Education • Language • Literature • Media • Music • Philosophy • Prostitution • Public holidays • Religion • Sport • Television • Video games

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Kde domov můj)

Lists: Outline of the Czech Republic • List of Czech Republic–related topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Czech Republic

WikiProject Europe

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